


Let sleeping (three-headed) dogs lie

by Alfer



Category: Killing Eve (TV 2018)
Genre: F/F, KE Week 2020, Rescue, Urban Fantasy, descent into the underworld
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-02
Updated: 2020-09-02
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:53:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,277
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26252950
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alfer/pseuds/Alfer
Summary: She'd bring Villanelle back, Eve decided. All it would take was a couple of favors owned, a test to Eve's baking skills, and walking alone into the underworld.Day 2 - Eve Rescues Villanelle.
Relationships: Eve Polastri/Villanelle | Oksana Astankova
Comments: 15
Kudos: 38
Collections: Killing Eve Week 2020





	Let sleeping (three-headed) dogs lie

Spending her Sunday walking inside a damp cave in the middle of nowhere was  _ not  _ Eve’s idea of a good time. And yet, here she was, trying to find her way in the absolute darkness with nothing but a basket of honey bread and a handful of coins to help her. She couldn’t even bring a damn torchlight.

_ No fire can be lit down there,  _ Carolyn had said,  _ you cannot bring anything modern either. Those are the rules. _ Her boss had shrugged, and it was with great effort that Eve stopped herself from tearing her own hair off in frustration. Villanelle better be grateful after all of this bullshit.

Even if it was Eve stabbing her that resulted in this whole mess to begin with.

Finally, there was a faint light ahead. Sickly and wavering, but there was something there as Eve descended further into the bowels of the Earth. Elena would have accused her of having a very dramatic inner voice.

As Eve got closer, the light grew, until the narrow corridor opened into what appeared to be an endless chamber. People,  _ or at least they had been people _ , walked around, some shambling, some hurriedly, most just confused. Eve stepped through the natural gate that marked the end of the tunnel, and took a moment to absorb the immensity of this place. 

Endless shore, extending as far as the eye could see in both directions. A tall ceiling with encrusted gems reflecting the faint light that seemed to emanate from the great river further ahead, where a single boat made its way back to this side of the shore.

With as much grace as if that boat had been her late train, Eve made her way over using the same strategy she used on the subway station at commune time. Goosebumps broke all over her skin every time she made contact with one of the thousands and thousands of people on this beach, if it could be called that, but she got to the waterline quickly.

Now here was the first problem. There was a line, and that boat didn’t look like it could take any more than twenty people at once, if that much. So the second the hooded boatman got close enough, Eve threw one of the honey breads at the water, watched out of the corner of her eye as ghostly hands reached for the treat, and jumped inside the boat before anyone else could. The boatman only turned their shadowed face towards her, not a sound coming out of that darkness, and extended an open palm.

The boat did not rock with her movement, staying perfect still as Eve took out two silver coins, worn by the passage of time, and dropped them on the boatman’s open hand. Those had been almost as hard to get as the information on  _ how _ to do any of this had been, in the first place.

Their hand closed on the coins, and Eve waited as other passengers paid the price. A few murmured about bad manners and how rude people are these days, but Eve ignored it. Soon enough, the boat was moving back to the other side.

“You shouldn’t be here. But you knew what to bring. Do you know the price, if you fail?” The boatman’s voice sounded far too light for this place, and too young.

Eve turned, surprised, but could not see anything in the darkness of the hood. Shaking herself, Eve hesitated.

_ You can talk with the boatman. Not anyone else until you get to the court. _

Carolyn always knew her shit, so why not?

“Yeah, yeah I know. But I have to.”

“Why?” A curious boatman of the dead too, just Eve’s luck.

“Because someone is here sooner than they should because I lost my temper, so.”

There was a giggle from inside the hood.

“Not sooner. No one is here sooner or later than they should. Well, except for you, but there are always exceptions from time to time. She lived a dangerous life, others might say she was late getting here.”

“No, she shouldn’t be here, and she’ll be getting out soon.”

The boatman (person? There really was no indication about who they were) tilted their head, wondering for a moment.

“You must know too that these shades, all of them, are the property of our Lord and Lady. They don’t part with what’s theirs… ever, truly.”

Eve turned abruptly, a deep frown marking her forehead.

“What’s that about, anyways. How the hell did a russian woman with no particular religion end up here,” she waved her hand vaguely around, ”and not, I don’t know, in the Blessed Isles or Veles’ court or anywhere else?”

“There are too many of you up there now, so there’s a whole bunch of rules on who gets which shades when,” the being shrugged, “The Bureaucracy drafted the contract.”

Eve just stared.

“That sounds like bullshit.”

“It is bullshit, but we’re overworked and that was the best compromise.”

After that, the boatman went quiet, stirring closer to the shore. Eve should have thrown bread over the side of the boat around this time, but it seemed the waters were happy with her first offering.

After an eternity and far too soon at the same time, the boat arrived at its destination. The shades stepped out, heading for the great ornate gate a few meters ahead.

Eve got out of the boat, following them.

A growl could be heard, then three loud barks, and sure enough, the dog appeared.

It was easily the size of a house, with three heads. It’s fur was spotted, and each head had a different pattern to it. Eve should have been utterly terrified. That was Cerberus, and it’s sole function was to keep her out and the shades on the inside of that gate.

Damned if Eve was going to let a dog stand in her way, though. Three honey breads offered to the big brutes later, and she was inside the gates. How the little baked treats managed to so entertain a monster of that size, Eve did not know. She was only happy the stories were right.

On the great open space between the gate and the immense castle ahead, there were so many shades around that walking became a problem. Elbowing her way through the dead, Eve considered that the boatman may not have been exaggerating about even the underworlds having a problem dealing with so many dead.

Eve was nothing if not persistent, however, and she got to the castle ruffled but whole. Pushing the heavy door open, Eve heard voices. Or rather, one voice, the only one she wanted to hear, in fact. Following the sound led Eve to another great door, and in there, something like a throne room.

There were even more gems encrusted to the ceiling here, braziers making the room bright. Shades willed around, servants and helpers, but on the two great thrones, a man and a woman sat.

Gods, and Eve’s eyes did not fall on them first. Instead, her gaze was immediately drawn to the figure standing before them, vehemently making her case.

“Look, think of how many people I’ve sent the two of you. You’ll get even richer if you send me back, I’ve still got a lot of contracts waiting to be done.”

The god of riches and the dead, Hades himself, covered his face with his hands, slowly dragging them down.

“I do not need any more dead in my realm, we’re at capacity as it is. But once you’re here, you cannot leave. Those are the rules.”

Villanelle, only Villanelle, could snort in the presence of two Gods.

“So what? You’re the bosses here, change the damn rules! I shouldn’t be here yet, and you know it.”

“Even gods must obey these ancient laws. We cannot send anyone back, even such as you, without reason.”

The woman beside him, who had been quiet so far, looked right at Eve’s goddamn soul and said. “I believe the reason has just walked in, husband.”

It was impossible to describe her, Maiden and Queen. Her face changed every time Eve blinked, and it was starting to give Eve a headache.

Villanelle turned around, a smile taking over her impassioned expression as soon as she saw Eve. That was another Villanelle-only ability, to look delighted to see the woman who killed her.

“Eve! Why are you here? Did the Twelve get you? I’ll kill them for it, don’t worry, I’m just ironing a few things out,” turning back to the Gods, Villanelle pointed back at Eve with her thumb, “she’s got to go back too, we have things to do and...”

Persephone raised her hand, and Villanelle _ finally _ grew quiet. Demeter’s daughter had not taken her eyes away from Eve, and it was getting very uncomfortable for Eve.

“Step closer, little one. You have taken quite a journey to get here. Your time has not come, and you should not be here. Why do you desire to unmake the results of your own actions?”

Eve walked closer, stopping beside Villanelle. Swallowing nervously, she spoke.

“It wasn’t Villanelle’s time. She wasn’t supposed to die from that stab wound, she has more to do in the living world. Her destiny is different, the Weavers said so,” Eve nodded to herself, trying to not panic at using the age old argument of ‘she said so’ to the  _ freaking gods. _

“That may be so, but she is here now, and is ours. Destiny has changed, as it sometimes does. What can you do, little one, to change it again?” Her voice changed each time she spoke as well.

Eve stepped closer to the great obsidian throne, squaring up her courage.

“I can say I need her. I can say I want her back with everything I have. I can say I want to trade places, let her live the time that she had, or what I had left to live if you think that’s fair. I can say…”

_ Bargaining with the immortals gods doesn’t leave much space for falsehoods. _

“I can say I love her. I can say I have the Son of Love, and Love herself, on my side. I can say she changed my life and I repaid her badly. I can say I will own you, whatever that is worth.”

“What you say, many have argued before. Trying to win their beloved a few more years, days, minutes, those are prayers we hear by the moment, but cannot grant. The favors of a mortal are not so dear to us, and we will own you eventually. What more?”

Eve sighed. Konstantin had warned it would come to this, but she had to at least give it a try.

Handing a wide-eyed Villanelle the bread basket, Eve searched her pockets for the folded letter she had kept somewhere. On her backpocket, as it happened.

Closer still she got to the Lords of the Underworld, handing the letter to Persephone.

She stepped back as the Lady read the letter, not realising she had gone back to Villanelle’s side until the blonde reached out and took her hand. Leaning over, she whispered.

“I do too. And thank you. If they don’t let us go, I’ll find a way to get you out.”

On her throne, the Goddess laughed, and both women shivered.

“I asked what you could do to change fate again, and it seems you can do much, little one. Go back the way you came. We,” Her husband, silent so far, only nodded, “allow your beloved to go back with you.”

Leaning forward, the Maiden smiled at them. It was as comforting as it was terrifying.

“And if you would take advice from us, hear it: Be careful of who you trust, there is more at play here than either of you can imagine.”

Nodding her head, Eve thanked them, the ritual words coming back to her mind from somewhere far away, and pulled Villanelle all the way to the shores of the Styx without a word. Her heart beat like a drum, and she didn’t dare to loosen her grasp on Villanelle’s hand even a little.

“You make really good bread, Eve.”

Eve turned to see Villanelle with the basket hanging from her elbow, munching on one of the honey breads.

She ruffed and took back the basket, making Villanelle whine around her food.

“Those are for the dog and the dead, there’s enough left for us to get out of here, but not if you keep eating the damn things.”

“But I’m one of the dead!”

Eve glared, very much unimpressed.

“You made those yourself, didn’t you?”

“Had to. They wouldn’t work if someone else had made them.”

Villanelle nodded, quiet for a moment.

“Thank you Eve. I know why you did it, the stabbing, and it’s okay. Love makes you do crazy things.”

Eve was positive she had truly gone insane, because she smiled back at Villanelle.

“I am sorry you died because of it.” 

“You made it better, it’s alright.”

  
  


Finally back under the sun, with Villanelle finishing off the leftover bread and their hands still laced together, Eve and Villanelle made their way back to Eve’s house. Who’d guess one of the entrances’ to the Underworld was located following one of the disused subway tunnels of London?

“Oh, Eve, what was in that letter, anyways? I tried everything to convince them, and they wouldn’t even budge.”

Eve screwed her eyes closed, took a deep breath, and looked back at Villanelle.

“You won’t be happy about it. We own your father a favor.”

**Author's Note:**

> Bit late, sorry! 
> 
> This is kind of part of a bigger idea I had some time ago, where Eve and Villanelle would be demigods in the style of the Scion RPG. Villanelle's dad would be Loki, in case anyone was curious.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


End file.
